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Savvy strategy leads to bigger savings

FROM CAROL E. BENNETT: I purchased eight Right Guard Total Defense deodorants and four loaves of gluten-free bread at Publix. Total out of pocket: $5.02. Saved $35.88. The bread was completely free.

Savvy strategy leads to bigger savings

Being a savvy shopper is much more than looking for the lowest advertised prices or the highest percentage of savings. There are many other things that you need to take into consideration. The key question is this: How do you know where to shop to get the best prices for items you buy regularly?

Percentage of savings — the store offering the highest percentage of savings isn’t necessarily the best deal.

As a savvy shopper, it is fun to watch those numbers go down at the register. With each coupon that the cashier scans, the total drops lower and lower. I love to calculate the percentage saved.

• To calculate the percent saved, you take the amount that you saved and divide it by the total before savings.

• For example if I paid $50 for $250 worth of groceries I would have saved $200. Take the $200 that I saved and divide it by the $250 the groceries would have cost and you will get 80 percent.

An 80 percent savings is awesome, but don’t be fooled. It is possible that you could have purchased the same items at another store whose everyday prices are less. Don’t fall into the trap of basing your purchases on the percentage of savings you will receive at the register. I try to save at least 50 percent on almost every item that I purchase; however, I am very knowledgeable about prices and will not purchase an item that is 50 percent off unless the price is still an awesome price after the discount.

Here’s an example:

• Michelle’s Market has cereal on sale for $2; the price is normally $6.

• Amazing Market has cereal on sale for $2; the price is normally $5.

• If I purchase the cereal at Michelle’s Market, my percentage of savings will be 66.67 percent.

• If I purchase the cereal at Amazing Market, my percentage of savings will be 60 percent

• Michelle’s Market has a higher percentage of savings, yet the products are the same price at both stores.

Now, let’s look at what the percentage of savings would be if each store had a slightly different price.

• Amazing Market has the same laundry detergent on sale for $2, normally $5

In this case, the store with the higher percent of savings does not have the lower price. Michelle’s Market will show 68.75 percent savings, and Amazing Market will only have 60. Amazing Market definitely has a better deal because the price is lower.

Coupon policies can make a huge difference in the price of the item.

Do they double coupons?

Another contributing factor to determine the best final price will be the store’s coupon policy. A store that doubles coupons will have a lower price than a store that doesn’t. Let’s assume that I have a 50 cent coupon for the cereal that I mentioned earlier.

Even though both stores had the same sales price, the coupon policy of Amazing Market allowed the shopper to score a better deal.

Do they allow overage?

When a coupon is valued at more than the cost of the item, the difference is called overage. Not many stores allow this; most of them will adjust the coupon down to the price of the item. In our area, Walmart and Publix both allow overage. Sometimes overage will determine where you need to shop to get the best deal.

• Michelle’s Market has aspirin on sale for $2. You have a $3 coupon for Bayer Aspirin. Michelle’s Market allows overage. You will receive the item for free plus $1 toward the rest of your groceries or you can receive the $1 back at the register.

• Amazing Market has aspirin on sale for $2, and you have a $3 off coupon for aspirin. Amazing Market does not allow overage. They will adjust the coupon down to $2, and you will still receive the item for free.

In this case, Michelle’s Market is the best place to shop because it allows overage.

Combine price-matching and overage to score an even better deal!

• Amazing Market has aspirin on sale for $2, and you have a $3-off coupon for aspirin. You will receive the item for free, but you will lose the $1 overage.

• Michelle’s Market has aspirin on sale for $3, and with your $3-off coupon you will receive the item for free. Amazing Market has a lower price on the item. Michelle’s Market matches competitor prices. You can take Amazing Market’s ad to Michelle’s Market and price-match the $2 price and then use the coupon to get overage on the item. (Walmart is the only store in our area that price matches and allows overage.)

Do they allow you to stack coupons?

Some stores allow you to combine their store coupons and a manufacturer coupon on the same item.

• Amazing Market and Michelle’s Market both have laundry detergent on sale for $10.

• I have a $1 Amazing Market store coupon for the laundry detergent and a $1 manufacturer coupon. If I can stack these coupons, I will save $2.

• Amazing Market does not allow you to combine a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon. I will have to choose either the store coupon or manufacturer coupon. My final price for the laundry detergent will be $9.

Do they take competitor coupons?

Sometimes you will have a store coupon that is not allowed to be stacked at the issuing store. However, if a store accepts the other store as a competitor, you will be allowed to stack the coupons.

• Michelle’s Market allows you to combine a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon.

• It will also take competitor coupons and you can stack a competitor coupon with a manufacturer coupon.

• I can use the Amazing Market $1 coupon at Michelle’s Market and combine it with the $1 manufacturer coupon to end up paying $8 for the laundry detergent.

Do you want to know who doubles coupons, who allows you to stack coupons, and who takes competitor coupons?

Sign up for one of my coupon classes and you will learn all of this and much more.

Send your tips or questions to Savvy Shopper Michelle Rubrecht at savvyshopper@savannahnow.com or post them to Facebook at Savannah Savvy Shopper.